Three health workers have been detained
after a Hepatitis A vaccination programme killed one pupil and made 120
others ill.

Last night 20 of them were still very poorly in hospital. There is
said to be a shortage of effective medicine to treat them with.

Pupils sickened after receiving
unauthorized hepatitis A vaccine are still hospitalized for
treatment in Sixian cunty, Anhui Province June 20, 2005. [newsphoto]

The tragedy unfolded in Sixian County in East China's Anhui Province.

Village doctors vaccinated about 2,500 students in 19 schools in 17
villages on June 16 and 17, a move without official permission,
according to local police.

The Dazhuang Township Health Care Epidemic Prevention Station
purchased 1,000 Hepatitis A vaccines from the county Epidemic Prevention
Centre and 3,000 vaccines from a private medicine provider Zhang Peng,
who has since disappeared.

Local police are still hunting for Zhang, and tracing other vaccines.

The three detained workers were Zhou Shimin, director of Dazhuang
Township Hospital, Hou Huafeng, head of Dazhuang Township Health Care
and Epidemic Prevention Station, and Zhou Shikai, a health worker who
allegedly purchased the vaccines.

Li Wei, a six-year-old student in Shuiliu Primary School in Dazhuang
Town, was vaccinated on June 17 and died a few days later after
suffering from a serious infection and breathing problems.

The county government has offered 90,000 yuan in compensation (US$
10,800) to Li's family.

Local hospitals received 120 sick students.

Several students reported dizziness, breathing difficulties and limb
numbness on June 17.

"Soon after receiving the vaccine, my granddaughter felt numb in her
hands and feet and couldn't stand up straight," recalled Hu Juren, who
works at Shuiliu Primary School. "As more and more students showed
similar symptoms, we realized something had gone wrong and called the
hospital."

Pan Longgen, a paediatrician at Sixian County Hospital, said the
students' hearts and livers are damaged, and the damage caused is worse
than if they had drunk pesticide.

The rest of the vaccines have been sealed, and samples sent for
tests.